Iranian Researchers Create Post-Infarction Cardiac Healing Patches

Using tissue engineering techniques, researchers at Tehran University of Medical Sciences have succeeded in creating cardiac patches that can help patients heal after heart attack.

ISNA quoted Dr. Nafiseh Bahira’ei, one of the researchers as saying “Cardiovascular failure caused by myocardial infarction is not only one of the most widespread reasons for death in developed countries, but also the first leading cause of death in developing countries, such as Iran.”

“Disruptions in the function of the heart’s electrical system subsequent to a heart attack, are a result of massive loss of heart cells in the damaged area”, Bahira’ei added. “Therefore, by adopting modern approaches in tissue engineering, the present project employs conductive polymers to create cardiac patches that can repair damaged cells after a heart attack occurs”, she added. “These patches are highly compatible with normal cells around the affected area.”

While declaring that the project is still in its experimental phases, Bahira’ei affirmed that “this can open future doors and potential paths to using polymeric scaffolds in tissue engineering for the treatment of heart disease.”